When We Meet Again
by Princess Marlene
Summary: When Jack and Ralph meets again after 20 years, how will they react to each other? This little conversation between could happen.... you never know. Finished, please R&R, thanks.


I do not own Lord of the Flies or any of its characters, so please don't sue me. Oh... and this is an English assignment that I did, thought I'd post it up just for fun.   
  
When We Meet Again  
  
The frozen water seems lifeless in front of his eyes. The cool early December wind picked up in this late afternoon. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the man beside him and studied him.  
  
Time has been kind to him. He had grown taller, no longer like a tree. His strong from still in the cool weather. His scarf, loosely tied around his neck, danced with the wind. His long black trench coat flapping around him. His eyes set on the frozen water, as if nothing in the world matters to him. His face no longer ugly, but with a deadly serious look in it, making people shiver involuntarily when around him.  
  
Taking in another deep breath, he looked down at his Naval uniform for the winter, suddenly feeling very... out of place. How did things get this way? From friends to enemies, to working together... indirectly. He always, always wondered how things turned to this state and got to this point between them. Glancing at the silent man beside him, he suddenly noticed how much more taller Jack is than him. However, you can change the water and the mountains, but your personality never changes, he still is quiet, but gives an aura of power.  
  
"So... how have you been doing these years?" He aksed softly, starting up the conversation between them.  
  
"Fine." Then a pause, before he spoke up again. "You?" Ice seem to have flown out of his mouth.  
  
Ralph sighed, this is getting no where. Ignoring his question, Ralph turned as he was looking at Jack's profile directly. "Jack, it's a surprise to see you here."  
  
Jack's eyes darkened, his blue eyes stormy, his mid-length red hair floating in the wind. "It is a surprise." Then he flickered his sharp eyes onto Ralph. "Tell me, why have you chosen this career? A Naval soldier will have to kill people, yet you hate the idea of killing."  
  
"Naval soldiers do not kill people!" Ralph protested loudly, Jack looked at him calmly, knowing fully that he had hit a sore spot. "I chose this job because I wanted to save people, to save kids... kids like us." Ralph's voice trailed off softly, waitinig for Jack's reaction, but nothing came. Ralph sighed in defeat and looked at Jack sharply. "And why have you chosen to develop the things that you do develop?"  
  
Jack said nothing, still gazing out at the frozen water, not answering him. Ralph raised his eyebrows and smirked. "It's okay, you don't need to answer, I know why you chose to develop fire arms and weapons, you want to be the 'hunter' again, don't you? You've never let go of your other self, have you? Jack, just how many places do you want to conquer with your weapons?"  
  
Jack looked down, taking out his hands from his pockets. For a moment there, Ralph throught he was going to punch him. Instead, Jack took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth smoothly, and the lighter followed. So, now, he even smokes. Jack held the cigarette in his left hand, Ralph noticed the fact that there's no ring on his hand.  
  
"You're not married?" Ralph asked, attempting to change the topic to a lighter one.  
  
Jack acknowledged his question with a shake of his head. "No plans for marriage." The cigarette in his hand slowly burnt away.  
  
"Jack... I missed hanging out with you, even though it was for a short period of time. I... I was thinking... if you're not busy, you can come over for dinner or something." He glanced at Jack's never changing face, and carefully added on. "My wife and children would be delighted to have you over."  
  
Still, no reply came from Jack. Ralph sighed again. Co-operating with others isn't exactly the strongest point in Jack's life. "Jack... a few years earlier I went back to the island."  
  
Jack looked towards him, finally evoked by his on talking, he waited for Ralph to continue on. "I went back there, the island... is still the same as before, the fire can't be seen by anyone, it's as if we've never been there before. I spent a night there, recalling everything that happened. Simon and Piggy... their deaths seem to have never been burnt away. It still gives me a feeling death and evil. Pretty ironic, considering how beautiful the island was... and still is."  
  
Jack twisted a corner of his mouth upwards, perhaps recalling a good memory about the island as well, or maybe agreeing on the island's beauty. Ralph looked at him and contuned on. "You know what I regret the most? Until Piggy's death, I still don't know about his real name. Piggy, it seems so natual to us, so... perfect for him, yet what was his name? A friend, a close friend, but I didn't even know his name."  
  
Jack said nothing, that little up-lifted corner of his mouth is gone, same with that look of enjoyment on his face. Perhaps, Ralph thought secrectly, that he'd feel guilty about what happened back on the island, perhaps. "Have you been talking to anyone else after we got off the island? I've kept in touch with Sam and Eric, surprisingly, the two can actually manage on their own now." Ralph added on a little chuckle, remembering how the twins were practically inseparatable.  
  
Jack inhaled a deep breath of smoke and gazed on, as if letting himself drift into some sort of memory. "I kept in touch with Roger, we bacame good friends after we got off of the island. He followed me through everything, but...."  
  
"But?" Ralph pressed on.  
  
"But...." Jack frowned, inhaling smoke again. "But, one day when he was testing a new weapon, he wasn't being careful and died."  
  
Ralph looked at Jack, he never liked Roger, but he was still one of 'them'. To hear his death was a bit surprising and sad for him. Ralph looked at Jack again, a flicker of emotion danced past Jack's eyes when mentioning the death of Roger. Pain? Sadness? Regret? Perhaps... even guilt?  
  
"Jack... it wasn't your fault." Ralph commented, still not knowing why he said that, what led him to believe that it was actually his fault? Sometimes, Ralph thought to himself, he should really bite his tongue off. Jack narrowed his eyes dangerously and turned to face him.  
  
"What makes you think it was my fault?" Jack's voice sharp, an edge to it.  
  
Ralph looked at him, wanting to apologize. Then suddenly, out of no where, Simon's and Piggy's dead bodies appeared in his mind. Those revolting sights that turned into endless nights of nightmares for him, the look on their faces when they died, the unwillingness of letting go of their lives. Suddenly, a pool of anger boiled within him. If Jack can do that to his friends... his fellow peers, then there's nothing else he can't do. With that thought in mind, it seemed to have encouraged him somehow, encouraged him to speak out what he wanted to speak out, even if his accusation was wrong.   
  
"If you can kill Simon and Piggy heartlessly, then you can do anything. Perhaps, you were tired of Roger too... or maybe, you were scared that Roger knew too much about you and that's why you killed him!"  
  
That seemed to have been the time stopper between them, for both of them just looked at each other, not saying anything. Suddenly, an eternity later, a car honk pulled them both out of their trance. Turning simultaneously, they followed the sound of the honk and saw a black car not far from them. Ralph looked at the car, then looked at Jack beside him, knowing that his time is up.  
  
Jack inhaled a deep breath of smoke and suddenly turned to face Ralph solemnly. "I didn't kill him, I tried saving him, but failed to." He then tapped the cigarette butt with his thumb, the dust breaking off gently. "And about your question earlier."  
  
Ralph looked at Jack confused, he had asked him a lot of questions earlier, which one is he talking about?  
  
"About my career choice." Jack seemed to have noticed the confusion in Ralph's eyes, for he cleared it up himself. "You said that I chose the job because I want to conquer the world with my weapons." He paused and looked at Ralph seriously. Suddenly an exhausted look appeared in his eyes. "Why is it not possible for you to think that perhaps... I just want to protect what's mine with my weapons?"  
  
Ralph stood there, stunned, shocked, astonished, bewildered. Jack took one last, deep inhale of his cigarette and threw it onto the ground, his foot choking the last bit of fire on the cigarette. Then without looking back, he walked towards the black car confidently, every one of his stride is filled with self-possession.   
  
Until Jack's car had driven off, until the sudden cold wind whipping on his face, until the cries of a child, until a car honk, until...... Ralph finally focused his gaze again, wanting to say something, but Jack's already gone. Slowly, another round of wind picked up, lifting up all the unwanted from the world, Ralph saw the cigarette butt that Jack was holding, dancing in front of his eyes.   
  
Reaching out with a shakey hand, he thought he was going to touch Jack's arm, but instead, he closed his hand around thin hair. With another look, the cigarette butt had already been carried off by the wind, flying towards somewhere, so near, yet, so far out of Ralph's reach.  
  
Just like the fleeting friendship between him and Jack, so near... yet, so far out of Ralph's reach......  
  
What is hidden by the dark side of the moon  
  
Filled with secrets, a heart is a treasure box  
  
Someday being kissed, when the key unlocks it  
  
Will the happiness really be eternal, I wonder...  
  
Something goes and bursts repeatedly in the middle of my life  
  
And then I can't return, yesterday's self fades away  
  
I can't stop any one thing, if I am alive..  
  
Looking up at the moon, the rabbit is timid,  
  
Why are ordinary things so strange....  
  
The rabbit is forlorn and can't go on living  
  
Flowing from eyes, those are tears, I suppose....  
  
Something goes and fades gradually in the middle of my heart  
  
And then I can't move again, myself in me passes away  
  
I just want to know the source of the moon's movement  
  
I can't stop any one thing, if I am alive...  
  
What is hidden by the dark side of the moon  
  
The real story starst are a period..... 


End file.
